THURSDAY FOLDER ARCHIVE

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday Folder #14

MSA testing has gone well this week. Thank you students and teachers for working so hard and thank you parents for all of your support.

A special thank you goes to our PTA and Giant Food at Kingsbrook for providing snacks and water each morning of MSA testing.

Parents please make sure that any forms that are sent in by doctors / therapists come directly to the Guidance Office. The guidance counselors will disseminate the forms to the appropriate school staff.

Congratulations to our band students and Band Director, Ms. Crum. The TMS Band received a rating of I – Superior at the recent Frederick County Band Adjudication.

Congratulations to TMS students who placed 2nd in the Frederick County Career and Technology Fair last week. Individual winners include:

“Down Hill Racer” – 6th place, Danny Russo and 7th place, Robbie Norwood; “DHR People’s Choice” – 8th place, Robbie Norwood
“Hovercraft” – 1st place, Ben Ohwiler and Kyle Wathen
“PSA poster” – 1st place, Sam Swanson
“Straw Bridge” – 5th place, Josh Head and Connor Cool
“SB People’s Choice” – 2nd place Ryan Burtner and Hunter Lawyer – 3rd place Josh Head and Connor Cool

The PTA will sponsor Pastries for Parents at 6:45 in the cafeteria next Thursday, March 26. Parents are welcomed to remain for a “Principal’s Chat” between 7:30 (following morning announcements) and 8:00.

Students will be dismissed two hours early on Thursday, March 26 – and schools will be closed Friday, March 27 for teacher work sessions.

Thursday, March 12, 2009
No Thursday Folder Letter this week

Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thursday Folder #13

Thanks to all parents who were able to attend spring conferences this week. It was good to see you!

Kudos to our parents and students for taking advantage of our after-school MSA Tutoring program. There has been an overwhelming response to this program. Thanks to all the parents and students for devoting extra time after school for this important opportunity. Thanks to our teachers who are devoting after school time to assist our students.

7th grader Savannah Steinly and 6th grader Taylor Cooley are to be congratulated for placing first in their respective categories in the American Legion Auxiliary essay contest on Americanism. These students will be recognized at the Thurmont American Legion on March 19th.

8th grader Nichelle Upton was recently selected as a finalist in the Nestle Very Best in Youth competition – for students who are active in the community and achieve good grades. Nice job, Nichelle!

Under the direction of Vicki Crum, the TMS Brass Quartet of Nick Wotring, Tyler Alexander, Derek Smith and Casey Superczynski received a Superior (I) rating at the Frederick County Solo and Ensemble competition. This qualifies them for the State Ensemble Festival in May. We are proud of these young musicians.

Under the direction of Berna LaForce, the TMS Chorus recently participated in the Frederick County Choral Adjudication and received a Superior (I) rating. We are proud of these talented students.

Parents - MSA testing is approaching quickly and we need your assistance to make certain that our students are in attendance during these important tests. Please refrain from making appointments during school hours for your children during the week of March 16-20. Thank you so much.

The Frederick County Department of Human Resources is seeking foster families. Its recent newsletter stated: “We are searching for a few families from your school to become licensed foster parents….just in case a child in your school needs a home. You don’t have to be a super human. You don’t have to save the world. But maybe...you could make room for one more. For information on becoming a foster parent call 301-600-2466.

February 2009
No Thursday Folder Letters in February

Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday Folder #12

Parents, please remember to send in a note when your student is absent from school. Students who accumulate a total of 5 unexcused absences for a marking period will fail all classes for that term. Also, after 10 absences, the school requires students to produce a doctor’s note in order for the absence to be considered a legal absence.

Congratulations to sixth grader Hannah Barth who received Honorable Mention at the County Level in the PTA Reflections Contest.

Term 3 started last week on January 22. Report cards will be coming home on Monday, February 2. Please contact the school if you have any questions about your child’s academic progress.

Students will be registering for next school year soon. Please look for the registration information to come home in early February.

The Student Government Association will be sponsoring a dance on Friday, February 13. The sixth grade dance will be held from 2:45 until 4:45, and the dance for seventh and eighth grade students will be held from 7 until 9 p.m.

Please read the following from our food service office: If a child has a food allergy, the parent must provide the school food service personnel with a physician’s signed statement with the following information:

An identification of the medical or other special dietary condition which restricts the child’s diet.
The food or foods to be omitted from the child’s diet and the food or choice of foods to be substituted
If you have further questions, please contact Carolyn.lewis@fcps.org or contact the Food Service Office at 301-644-5061.

Thursday, January 22, 2009
No Thursday Folder Letter this week

Thursday, January 15, 2009
No Thursday Folder Letter this week

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thursday Folder #11

Welcome back from winter break. I hope everyone had a peaceful holiday.

Congratulations to a number of our very special TMS students who will represent TMS at All-State Chorus. Very few Frederick County students were selected for this honor and TMS is very proud of these students:

Maggie Kaetzel (soprano) 7th grade
Laken Weaver (alto) 8th grade-2nd year
Nichelle Upton (alto) alternate

The following students will represent TMS at All-County Chorus competition.

6th Grade	7th Grade	8th Grade
Diana Burch (alto) Anna Harrick (alto) Robert Hood (tenor) Ashlee Leib (soprano) Madison Weigelt (soprano)	Hannah Ellis (alto) Derrick Kaas (tenor) Maggie Kaetzel (soprano) William Ortiz (tenor) Savannah Steinly (soprano) Jacob Tokar (tenor)	Kierstin Baugmardner (soprano) Gabby Bodroghy (soprano) Trevor Bostian (tenor) Kayla Knott (soprano) Audrey Lindahl (alto) Bridey Puvel (soprano) Nichelle Upton (alto) Laken Weaver (soprano)

A special acknowledgement goes to 8th grader Laken Weaver. She will be recognized on January 15 (Thursday) at Thomas Johnson High School as TMS’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award winner. Laken is very deserving of this special award.
Term 2 ends next Friday – January 16. Please continue to check on your child’s progress by accessing Pinnacle and calling the school when you have concerns and questions.

Remember, regular school attendance is crucial for your student’s academic success. Please support your child’s education by insuring regular attendance and sending absentee notes to school when your child is out.
Please remember that school will be closed for students on Monday, January 19th for the Martin Luther King holiday and on Tuesday the 20th and Wednesday the 21st for teacher professional development.

Thursday, December 18, 2008
No Thursday Folder Letter this week

Thursday, December 11, 2008
No Thursday Folder Letter this week

Thursday, December 3, 2008
Thursday Folder #10

Mid term for Term 2 is tomorrow! Please check your child’s grades on Pinnacle frequently.

Interim reports will be sent home Monday, December 15.

Schools will be closing two hours early tomorrow for a teacher work session.

Beginning in January, Panther Time will occur two days per week. This time will permit your students to access tutoring and enrichment opportunities within the school day. Please remind your students that they are encouraged to ask teachers to sign them up for additional assistance when they need it.

Upcoming Events...

Winter Band Concert – December 11 at 6:30 in the gymnasium
Winter Break – December 24 through January 2
Schools reopen on January 5, 2009

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Thursday Folder #9

This week TMS is holding a winter coat drive. We are asking students, if possible, to bring in slightly used or new winter coats to be donated to Catoctin area families. Thanks for your support!

The SGA will be holding a dance tomorrow for 6th grade students after school from 2:20 until 4:00 and for 7th and 8th grade students from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets were sold this week at lunch.

Please join TMS for the SGA spaghetti dinner here in the cafeteria next Friday night, November 21 from 4:30 to 8:00. Cost is $7.00 per person. Click here for more information

Thanksgiving break begins on Wednesday, November 26. Students will return to school on Monday, December 1.

Please remember to send in a note with your children when they are absent from school. If students accumulate 5 unexcused absences in a marking period, they may fail for that marking period.

Just a friendly reminder that car riders must be dropped off and picked-up at the front of the school (Main Street). The Summit Avenue entrance is for the bus riders only. Thanks!

Upcoming Events...

Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday Folder #8

Report cards will be sent home with your child on Monday, November 17. Please make sure that you review the report card with your student.

Parents, if you were not able to attend the “Life After Middle School” program at FCC last week, please watch Channel 18 this week. The program, which features our own guidance counselor, Sherry Bueso, and some of our Catoctin High School freshmen, will be rebroadcast Monday through Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Schools will be closed Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving vacation. Travel safely!

Just a friendly reminder that car riders must be dropped off at the front of the school (Main Street). The Summit Avenue entrance is for the bus riders. Thanks!

Picture re-takes will occur November 12.

Congratulations to Rebecca Burns, 6th grader, who won an award in the Frederick County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association Fire Prevention Poster contest.

Upcoming Events...

Congratulations to science teacher, Jason Johnson, and 8th grader Nichelle Upton who were honored last week as recipients of the Vision of Character Award sponsored by the Frederick County Character Counts! Council.

Term 1 ends next Friday. Report cards will be distributed on Monday, November 17. Watch for them!

Proof of Residence: Every student must have a proof of residence document on file at TMS. This may be in the form of a tax bill, a lease agreement, an electric bill or a water bill. Please make sure to provide a new Proof of Residence, if you move during the school year. Call the guidance office, if you have any questions.

Please take advantage of the following opportunities:

Parents, please observe the rules for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up of our student car riders. Cars must travel through the loop at the front of the building for car rider drop-off and pick-up. Please do not move the orange cones as they are placed for the safety of our students.

Parents of bike riders, please remind your students that state law requires them to wear helmets. Also, they are to cross the street at either the crosswalk at Main Street which is supervised by a crossing guard, or the crosswalk at Summit Avenue, which is supervised by school personnel. Thanks!

Remember, you may reach any staff member via fcps e-mail. Call the school, if you need the e-mail address of any staff member.

Interims will be coming home tomorrow. Please check your child’s grades periodically on Pinnacle. Contact us to help you with this process. We are happy to assist you and if you do not have a computer, you may come into the school to use one of ours to access your child’s grades.

Just a friendly reminder that car riders must be dropped off and picked-up at the front of the school (Main Street). The Summit Avenue entrance is for the bus riders only. Parents, please drive carefully through the parking loop in the front of the school and do not have your students walk through the parking lot. Thanks!

Parents, the Maryland Children’s Health Program (MCHP) provides free doctors visits, prescriptions, eye glasses, dental care and more. It is open to children up to age 19 and pregnant women of any age. If you do not have health insurance for your children, you may want to apply. You may also use this as a supplement to your current health insurance. Please contact Theresa Fisher, school nurse, for information.

Fall conference information came home today. Please sign up to visit with your child’s teachers. Conferences will be held the week of October 13.

Remember, you may reach any staff member via fcps e-mail. Call the school if you need the e-mail address of any staff member.

School pictures will be taken tomorrow. Please don’t forget to send in picture money.
Please join us tomorrow beginning at 6:45 a.m. in the cafeteria for the PTA-sponsored “Pastries for Parents” followed by a “Principal Chat” at 7:30 a.m. (following morning announcements).

Remember that school will be closed on Tuesday, September 30 for Rosh Hashanah

This past Wednesday marked the mid-term point of Term 1. Interims will be coming home on October 3. Please check your child’s grades periodically on Pinnacle. Contact us, if you need help with this process. We are happy to assist you and if you do not have a computer, you may come into the school to use one of ours to access your child’s grades.

Fall conference information will be sent home on Thursday, October 2.

Remember, you may reach any staff member via fcps e-mail. Call the school, if you need the e-mail address of any staff member.

If you have not already done so, please consider joining the TMS PTA. Membership costs $5.

Please send in your child’s PTA (Wolfgang) fundraiser money ASAP.

Thursday, September 18, 2008
Thursday Folder # 3

The TMS staff enjoyed seeing so many parents at our Back to School Night last week.

Are you interested in a part-time job? If so, the Thurmont Police Department is recruiting substitute crossing guards. If you are interested please contact the TPD at 301-271-0905. More information is available on the town website.

School will be closed tomorrow Friday, September 19, in observance of Frederick Fair Day.

Believe it or not – Midterm is Wednesday, September 24. Interim reports will be issued on October 3.

School will open 2 hours late on Monday, September 22 for teacher work sessions.

TMS maintains a homework hotline so that our students have an up-to-date list of homework assignments. Absent students are expected to use Homework Hotline or the TMS web site as their primary source for assignments. For extended absences, 3 days or more, parents may request assignments through the office. Twenty-four hours notice is needed to give teachers time to prepare the materials.

Remember, you may reach any staff member via fcps e-mail. Call the school if you need the e-mail address of any staff member.

If you have not already done so, please consider joining the TMS PTA. Membership costs $5.

Please make sure to check your student’s grades on Pinnacle. If you have trouble accessing Pinnacle, please call the school for help.

Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday Folder # 2

The TMS staff hopes to see everyone this evening at our Back to School Night.

Parents, please remember to send in a note when your student is absent from school. If a note is not received, an absence will be considered illegal. If students accumulate 5 illegal absences during the course of a term, they will fail that term.

If a student accumulates excessive absences during the school year, a doctor’s note will be required to code those absences as legal.

Remember, a student may only accumulate 5 days of absences per school year for vacation.

School will be closed Friday, September 19 for students in observance of Frederick Fair Day.

On Monday, September 22 school will open two hours late for teacher work sessions.

Remember, you may reach any staff member via fcps e-mail. Call the school if you need the e-mail address of any staff member.

If you have not already done so, please consider joining the TMS PTA. Membership costs $5.

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Thursday Folder # 1

Thank you to all of our students, parents, teachers and staff for a very smooth opening to the 2008-2009 school year.

Parents, please do not leave a message on our Homework Hotline. At this time, we are not able to access such messages. Please contact the main office if you have questions.

Mark your calendar! Back to School Night will be held next Thursday, September 11 from 6:30 to 8:10. Parents will report to their student’s home base class at 6:30. For those interested, a brief Family Life preview will be held beginning at 5:45 in Room 300

Parents, please remember to mark your student’s name on lunch boxes, backpacks and coats.

Parents, please remember that TMS opens to students at 7 a.m. Please do not drop off students prior to 7 a.m. as no supervision is available until that time.

Congratulations to 8th grader Emma Skekel whose art project –“Art’s A Ball” was selected for last Friday night’s “Art’s A Ball” Silent Auction at the Frederick Keys Stadium.

Please take time to read the following BOE regulations

Firearm Possession: "It is unlawful for students to possess or use any weapon on school property. Students who have or use a weapon on school property will be suspended from school, and the police will be notified of the incident. A weapon is any object designed to harm another physically or an object which is used in a way that can physically harm another. This school is committed to providing each of you with a safe environment, and we will do all we can to carry out that responsibility including, if necessary, conducting searches of student lockers."

Regulation 500-32 (Student Books) Use of Books, Materials, and Equipment by Students

1. The student shall be held responsible for the careful use and protection of the books, materials, and equipment loaned or assigned to him. Upon the request of the principal, the student shall return these items in good condition, allowing for normal usage.
2. Failure of the student to comply with this procedure shall require the principal to assess the loss or damage for the student to pay to the school. The student will not be held liable for the loss or damages if the principal has determined that the property has been damaged or destroyed due to fire, theft or vandalism by another person.
3. Through means of communication considered most appropriate and effective, such principal shall annually inform all students and their parents of regulations governing the use and proper care of books, materials, and equipment.

Fees

1. The fee for lost or damaged print and non-print media materials, as well as other instructional materials, shall be assessed at the current replacement cost.
2. The fee for lost equipment shall be assessed at the fair market value of the item as determined by the Purchasing Department.
3. The fee for damaged equipment shall be assessed at the actual cost of repairing the item.
4. Items not returned within two weeks after the due date will be considered lost and the student will be assessed accordingly.

1. Student possession and use of electronic devices on school property and at school-sponsored events on and off campus is a privilege, not a right.
2. It is the intent of Frederick County Public Schools to ensure that student possession or use of electronic devices does not:

    a. Disrupt the learning environment or approved school activity.
    b. Pose a threat to academic integrity.
    c. Violate confidentiality or privacy rights of others during the school day as well as during after-school activities or the
    safe transportation of students.
    d. Create safety concerns.